His career began with laying the foundations for modern day American soccer, and ended in allegations of bribery, fraud, and general corruption. He suffered from rectal cancer, diabetes, and a coronary artery disease.

Blazer began working with the U.S. Soccer Federtion in 1984, when he was elected executive vice president in charge of international competition, where he helped boost the reputation of the U.S. Men’s National Team by adding many more games to their schedule. He was a major player in the USA’s campaign to host the 1994 World Cup and helped form the U.S. Women’s National Team in 1985.

He also founded the short lived American Soccer League in 1986.

He was elected CONCACAF general secretary in 1990 and held that post until 2011. He was a FIFA Executive Committee member from 1996 to 2013. It was during that tenure that he and former CONCACAF president Jack Warner were accused of bribery and fraud, which eventually got him banned from the game on July 9, 2015.

He did serve as an informant in the American-led FIFA investigation when he clandestinely recorded meetings with other corrupt FIFA executives. His finances had been the subject of an FBI investigation at the time of his death.

I can’t forgive stealing from the region and the damage caused by that lack of funds to needy programs, but during his career he did do some great things for raising up soccer in both the US and CONCACAF in general.

I am not a Chuck Blazer fan and backer. He had his demons and was not without controversy but let’s please remember that he had family and his family is no doubt reeling. Let’s keep that in mind. No need to condemn the man now.

RIP Chuck Blazer. Thanks for all you did to put soccer on the map in this region of the globe. As a fan I have enjoyed countless hours watching the Gold Cup and watching US soccer steadily improve, in part, because of the millions of dollars that poured into the game due to your efforts.

For those hating on Blazer, people and most things in life are neither entirely good or entirely bad. Blazer’s life reflected that. Until I’ve walked in the man’s shoes and accomplished what he did – working in what were likely already corrupt business climates to do it – I’ll reserve my judgement. Hate for a man who some bad things, is still hate.